semi o/t Marian Seldes & Mona Lisa Smile/new Bye Bye Birdie Film

[Craig]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:16am

Caught Mona Lisa Smile last night and have to say that Marian Seldes shined in her role. While the film lacks in other area, the performances by Marian, Marcia Gay Harden and Juliet Stevenson were all stellar.

In other news - saw a preview for a new movie called "Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!" and it bears an UNCANNY resemblance to a non-musical version of Bye Bye Birdie. Just checked IMDB and there's no "movie connection" (and there are differences plot wise) - just amused by the "contemporizing" of the story... Any one else see the trailer?

[PaulWontorek]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:21am

Hi Craig.

First off, happy holidays.

"Tad Hamilton" is about a girl who enters a contest to meet a movie star, goes on a date with him and then has her life turned around when he shows up on her doorstep a while later wanting to REALLY date her, to the chagrin of her boyfriend. How is that a contemporizing of "Bye Bye Birdie"? Because it involves a regular girl who meets a star? Isn't that a bit of a stretch? :)

Since it's directed by the guy who made the first "Legally Blonde," I have high hopes for this movie. Fingers crossed. I'm sure Marc and Scott (or Jack and Jerry?) will be snapping up the stage rights any day now.

Paul

[Craig]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:34am

Paul-

Happy Holidays to you as well!

I am guessing you saw the trailer as well. It just seemed as though there were a lot of similarities. Do you really thing a comparison can't be made? (from memory...)

The girl enters a contest to meet a celebrity... A celebrity that needs some good press because he's been getting into the tabloids. Her "boyfriend" is first excited for her but then doesn't want her to go out with him. The whole small town is a "buzz" when the star comes into town and bends over backwards for him.


I'm not saying it IS Bye Bye Birdie.. just that there are definite connections and it would be highly surprising if, when pitched, they didn't say "It's like Bye Bye Birdie, only different"

[Craig]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:38am

oh.. let me add that I am looking forward to the film too - my post wasn't to bash the film in the slightest.. was just amused at the similarity

[Craig]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:43am

Ah.. here's a link to the trailer...
Win A Date....

[PaulWontorek]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:51am

Okay... MAYBE you're onto something, but we'll have to see. Also--weren't there some films in the '50s concerning Hollywood stars interacting with regular folk? Quite a bit, I believe.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:54am

Does anyone know if Marian Seldes still holds the Guiness World Record for longevity in a role? I think she played every performance (no vacation, no sick) of "Deathtrap" for all four years it was on Broadway.

Updated On: 12/29/03 at 09:54 AM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:55am

Paul-

If you're a regular poster here, you'll know that I am vehemently anti-movie. I hate 'em and wish they'd stop making them. However, I've read in various places that "Tad Hamilton" does bear a certain resemblance to BYE, BYE BIRDIE. I'll never know for myself because I have no intention of seeing the movie.

[Craig]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 10:06am

Paul - yes.. there were many movies made in the 50s about people interacting with celebs. You could even say that Kathy Selden (sp?) meeting screen legend Don Lockwood has a similar feel.

Paul, you would know this. Wasn't there a LOT of talk about (and maybe it's still in the works) of an actual MUSICAL of Bye Bye Birdie making it's way to film and wasn't there talk that if they did it would be contemporized? I know many studios race to have "their" movie out first (think Armageddon and Deep Impact)...

[PaulWontorek]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 10:45am

Dolly, you're anti-movie? That's the most ludicrous thing I've EVER read on here..and that's saying quite a lot.

Craig, I believe there was talk of a hip-hop "Bye Bye Birdie." But will it ever happen? I doubt it.

Paul

[thirdrowcenter]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 11:14am

I saw Marion Seldes recently in Beckett/Albee. Her mouth alone commands the audience. She's in a class by herself. Updated On: 12/29/03 at 11:14 AM

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 12:45pm

Yes, Paul, I HATE movies.

I used to be an avid film buff...then 20th Century Fox cast That Streisand Woman in the film version of TWHM. I saw the movie and was reduced to tears by what Hollywood had done to the material. Walking out of the theater I vowed never to patronize the movie industry again, although I did wander into an air-conditioned theater last summer (2002) to escape the scortching heat. Luckily the movie was SIGNS and I fell asleep almost immediately.

It's gotten to the point that I can't even stand the smell of popcorn.

[tpdc]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 1:03pm

There are other theater performers in MONA LISA as well. Julia Styles and Maggie Gyllenhal have stage credits. John Slattery plays Julia Roberts' boyfriend. Dominic West is the Italian professor. Isn't that Marylouise Burke as Seldes' assistant?

[QueenS]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 1:50pm

Gotham, don't know anything officially, but Catherine Russell has only missed something like 4 performances of "Perfect Crime" in the 15 years that it has been playing.

As far as on Broadway, I had a friend who was in the original version of "42nd St." who said that there was a chorus woman in the show that didn't miss a show in the entire run. Never took a vacation, got married on her day off... However, I can't back that up or even remember her name.

[Schmack]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 5:51pm

Maggie Gyllenhaal gives a very nice performance in the movie. Marcia Gay Harden performs well also. I think it's time for Maggie to make her Broadway debut...

[tpdc]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 8:55pm

She is going to be in the revised KABUL/HOMEBODY in NYC. She wanted to do the original production but I think she had a scheduling conflict.

[shermanslave]

Posted: 12/29/03 at 9:12pm

what other stage credits does Julia Styles have? I saw her do 12th Night at the Park a couple of years ago and thought she was quite lame.